Smith v. Raymond Corp.

7 Ohio App. Unrep. 310
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedOctober 25, 1990
DocketCase No. 57670
StatusPublished

This text of 7 Ohio App. Unrep. 310 (Smith v. Raymond Corp.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Smith v. Raymond Corp., 7 Ohio App. Unrep. 310 (Ohio Ct. App. 1990).

Opinion

MATIA, P.J.

Plaintiff-appellant, Joel Smith, appeals from the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas' entry of judgment on a jury verdict in favor of defendants-appellees, Raymond Corporation (Raymond) and Hillis Equipment Co. (Hillis).

On January 11, 1985, appellant was injured at his place of employment at Chase Brass and Copper Co. (Chase) when an orange, 8 1/2 foot tall, 15,000 pound Model 71B Raymond Side-loader operated by appellant's co-employee, Jerry Burt, and loaded with 3,000 pounds of material, ran over appellant's right foot causing severe injuries. The sideloader was manufactured by appellee Raymond and sold to Chase by appellee Hillis.

On January 9, 1987, appellant filed against appellees a complaint sounding, inter alia, in strict products liability, essentially alleging that the sideloader was defectively manufactured and/or designed. It later became clear that appellant believed the particular Raymond sideloader was defective in design since it lacked allegedly essential flashing lights, sounding devices and mirrors. The lack of these safety devices, which were optional on the particular sideloader model, was proposed to have proximately caused appellant's injuries.

On January 16, 1987, employer Chase also filed suit against appellees, praying for relief with respect to certain worker's compensation and medical benefits paid as a result of appellant's injury. The cases were consolidated by journal entry of June 23, 1988, but Chase later voluntarily dismissed its complaint without prejudice on April 13, 1989.

Trial began on April 12, 1989, and the jury verdict in favor of appellees was returned on April 20, 1989. Notice of appeal was timely filed in this court, and appellant has assigned six errors for our review. A cross-appeal has also been filed by the defendants below, assigning a single error. We first address appellant's challenges.

I. APPELLANT' S REQUESTED CHARGE ON THE CONSUMER EXPECTATION TEST

In his first assignment of error, appellant contends:

"THE TRIAL COURT ERRED IN REFUSING TO CHARGE THE JURY ON THE CONSUMER EXPECTATION TEST TO DETERMINE WHETHER THE PRODUCT IN QUESTION WAS DEFECTIVE AS THE CONSUMER EXPECTATION TEST IS APPLICABLE IN CASES INVOLVING INDUSTRIAL WORKMEN AND PLAINTIFF DEMONSTRATED EVIDENCE THAT THE PRODUCT WAS MORE DANGEROUS THAN THE ORDINARY CONSUMER WOULD EXPECT.”

The consumer expectation standard applies in design defect product liability cases, and comprises the first of a two-prong test as defined as follows by the Ohio Supreme Court in Cremeans v. International Harvester Co. (1983), 6 Ohio St. 3d 232, at syllabus:

"In determining whether a product design is a defective condition, a single, two-pronged test should be used: under the consumer expectation standard prong, a defendant will, be subject to liability if the plaintiff proves that the product design is in a defective condition because the product fails to perform as safely as an ordinary consumer would expect when used in an intended or reasonably foreseeable manner; under the risk-benefit standard prong, a defendant will be subject to liability if the plaintiff [311]*311proves, by using relevant criteria, that the product design is in a defective condition because the benefits of the challenged design do not outweigh the risks inherent in such design. (Knitz v. Minster Machine Co., 69 Ohio St. 2d 460 [23 O.O.3d 403], approved and followed.)" (Emphasis added.)

Generally, a trial court should not charge the jury on an issue that is not supported by the evidence. Steadley v. Montanya (1981), 67 Ohio St. 2d 297. Refusal to give a requested charge is proper if the facts in evidence do not support an essential element of the charge. Cf. Steinbeck v. Philip Stenger Sons, Inc. (1975), 46 Ohio App. 2d 22.

In the instant case, it was undisputed that appellant was quite familiar with the particular sideloader, and had operated it frequently since it had been purchased by his employer. In fact, appellant admitted that he reviewed the operator's manual and personally operated the sideloader "on the average of twice a week and sometimes three times a week for an entire eight hour shift." (Tr. 174; 217.) In short, it was clear that appellant was very well acquainted with the operation and features of the sideloader, and clearly knew what lights and sounding devices were or were not present on the sideloader. Thus, the facts were clear as to appellant's expectations. Appellant was hardly ignorant of the product and had clear expectations regarding the obvious presence or absence of safety devices.

The trial court's refusal to charge the jury on the 'consumer expectation standard', under the facts of the instant case, was not error prejudicial to appellant. Appellant's first assignment of error is not well taken.

II. MOTION IN LIMINE RE: EVIDENCE OF NEGLIGENCE OF APPELLANT AND/OR CHASE

In the second assignment of error, appellant argues:

"THE TRIAL COURT ERRED IN OVERRULING PLAINTIFF'S MOTION IN LIMINE TO PRECLUDE DEFENDANT FROM ARGUING TO THE JURY THAT PLAINTIFF AND/OR PLAINTIFF'S EMPLOYER, CHASE BRASS & COPPER COMPANY, WERE NEGLIGENT AS ANY ALLEGED NEGLIGENCE OF PLAINTIFF AND/OR PLAINTIFF’S EMPLOYER WAS IRRELEVANT AND THE INTRODUCTION OF SUCH EVIDENCE WAS PREJUDICIAL TO PLAINTIFF."

Appellant argues that the trial court should have disallowed appellee's presentation of evidence that appellant was injured as a result of his own inadvertence or horseplaying, and/or the employer Brass' negligence in maintaining a hazardous workplace. It was appellee's contention at trial that even if the product was defective in design, such alleged defect was not a proximate cause of this appellant's injury. Appellee's evidence essentially consisted of: (1) the testimony of Mr. Robin Elliot, a co-worker of appellant's who was present and operating an overhead crane on the scene at the time of the accident, who testified that he had an unobstructed view of appellant's injury which, according to Mr. Elliot, resulted solely as a result of appellant's having run up to the back of the sideloader and placing his hands on the rear cage of the sideloader (in which Mr. Burt was operating) in an apparent attempt at "horseplay"; and (2) evidence that the Chase Brass premises were not up to OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Act) standards.

Initially, we note that the admission or rejection of evidence is a matter within the sound discretion of the trial court. See e.g., Caggiano v. Medtronic, Inc. (1988), 47 Ohio App. 3d 29, at 32. The purpose of a motion in limine is to preclude the admission into evidence of potentially prejudicial matters which are irrelevant and inadmissible Cf. Rinehart v. Toledo Blade Co. (1985), 21 Ohio App. 3d 274.

Appellant is correct that comparative or contributory negligence is not a defense in a strict products liability action. See Cincinnati Ins. Co. v. Volkswagen of America, Inc. (1987), 41 Ohio App. 3d 239. However, it is still axiomatic that in every products liability action the plaintiff must prove that the alleged defect was a proximate cause of his injury. Buckeye Union Ins. Co. v. Liberty Solvents and Chemicals Co. (1984), 17 Ohio App. 3d 127; Hargis v. Doe (1981), 3 Ohio App. 3d 36, at 37; Wladyslaw Chwirut v. Cleveland Punch and Shear Works (Feb. 15, 1979), Cuyahoga App. No. 38168, unreported.

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Related

City of Cleveland v. Huff
470 N.E.2d 934 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 1984)
Caggiano v. Medtronic, Inc.
547 N.E.2d 389 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 1988)
Cincinnati Insurance v. Volkswagen of America, Inc.
535 N.E.2d 702 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 1987)
Rinehart v. Toledo Blade Co.
487 N.E.2d 920 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 1985)
Hargis v. Doe
443 N.E.2d 1008 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 1981)
Steinbeck v. Philip Stenger Sons, Inc.
345 N.E.2d 633 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 1975)
Buckeye Union Insurance v. Liberty Solvents & Chemicals Co.
477 N.E.2d 1227 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 1984)
National City Bank v. Fleming
440 N.E.2d 590 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 1981)
Steadley v. Montanya
423 N.E.2d 851 (Ohio Supreme Court, 1981)
Knitz v. Minster Machine Co.
432 N.E.2d 814 (Ohio Supreme Court, 1982)
Cremeans v. International Harvester Co.
452 N.E.2d 1281 (Ohio Supreme Court, 1983)
Seasons Coal Co. v. City of Cleveland
461 N.E.2d 1273 (Ohio Supreme Court, 1984)

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Bluebook (online)
7 Ohio App. Unrep. 310, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/smith-v-raymond-corp-ohioctapp-1990.